New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1887-07-13
Y KTON INSANE ASYLITl M.
Gov. Church and Examiner Harris
Make Report Upon the Yankton
Asylum Investigation.

They Find That the Trustees UnlaW-
& fully Delegated Their Powers and
Duties to Secretary Colby.
BISMARCK, Special Telegram, July 1-Gov
Church received and there was made public.
to-day the report of Public Examiner C. N.
Harris on the testimony taken by the COM
mission appointed to investigate the charges
made against the trustees Of the Yankton in
sane asylum Mr.. Harris in his report first
Hays that he found no discrepancies in the
records and accounts Of the steward, j. A.
Potter. He then gets right down to the gist
Of the whole trouble by saying:
THEY DELEGATED THEIR POWER
What has made the trouble and delay in this
Investigation was the manner and way Of doing
business by the trustees during the past two
years. They have, during that time, overlooked
their duties as an advisory board and have as
sumed the duties of superintendent of the in
stltution and have disbursed several of the ap-
preparations. In some instances they have
Kept no vouchers and In no case have they
furnished to the auditor an itemized
statement for the amounts they have drawn out
during the time they operated as to where and
now the several funds have been expended; and
when placed on The stand and asked to explain,
dS,
most cases, the only record kept by them, it
leaves nothing whatever as basis from their
records to estimate their doings during the two
years A E. Colby acted as their secretary and
business manager.
IS During the last two years the trustees have
taken out OF the stewards charge funds aggre-
eating 4450, and have also duly installed
their secretary. Colby. as treasurer. super1n-
tendent OF construction and purchasing agent.
Money was drawn from the several funds on
vouchers in favor of Secretary Colby and certi-
i'm or11 RI nH-,@r>n :1o,,% toxt<
board as correct. Money was drawn on
estimates by Secretary Colby to the
amount OF $S,s90.6O. For the estimates
simply claiming that the amount of money was
drawn by him Us needed and 1udiciousfy in
vested. Williams, who was president of the
did not know until after the report of the board
was made to Gov. Pierce, Nov. 80. 1886, that
money had been drawn on estimates and that it
had not been expended as specified in that re-,
port. deficiency in the fuel account of S.
9O9, SO was accounted for by Mr.. Colby by say
ing that he had borrowed from the fuel fund to
carry out other improvements
THE TOTAL SHORTAGE
In all the funds handled by Colby find q
total shortage OF $5.471.53. Territorial Auditor
Caldwell paid the vouchers drawn in favor of A.
3. Colby, as most of them WERE upon the funds
before mentioned. The law makes it the duty of
the steward to disburse the employees funds and
case are any OF these vouchers supposed
to reach the secretary OF the boards hands,.
The law makes it the duty of the superin-
tendent and the president of the board of trus-
tees to check up and certify to the correctness
OF the stewards monthly statements, and the
auditor has no authority whatever to pay vouch-
ers that are not certified to in this way. And
vet Auditor Caldwell in his dealings with Mr..
Colby during the past two years has seen fit to
do away with steward and superintendent, and
to recognize Colby alone in these several capaci-
Ties, thus giving the officers no opportunity
whatever to have any check upon the money eX-
pended from those several funds. Caldwell is
the man who should have checked and refused
TO recognize this manner and way Of doing bust
ness.
Examiner Harris proceeds at length then
to show how Colby was by the trustees APP
pointed superintendent of construction and
made treasurer of the funds over which
they had assumed control. During the two
years for such services he received
81. $3.50, although he devoted most Of his
time to his store and his private business.
The examiners report then recites Mr..
CObby's testimony on the witness stand,
showing his defective memory as to the
funds and the expenditures from each. The
shortages in each account are then sum-
married., and are shown to represent total
OF So, 472. SO.
THE GOVERNORS REPORT.
Having considered the report of Examiner
Harris, Gov. Church has issued his manifesto
He first quotes the provisions Of the law de-
fining the duties of the board of trustees,
superintendent, steward, etc:
The latter by law shall keep accurate ac-
count of all receipts and expenditures in detail
which shall be open to the inspection Of the
superintendent and board OF trustees.
Gov. Church then quotes the section of the
law that provides that:
No portion of any special appropriation for
the erection of any building or for the doing of
airy expenses shall be drawn from the territorial
treasury in advance of the work done or the ma
terial furnished, and then only upon proper es-
Inmates thereof, approved by the trustees.
EXECUTIVE DIsPLEAsURE.
The gubernatorial decision, after quoting
the law and reviewing the case, is in the fol-
lowing language:
The actions Of the trustees have been in abso-
Lutte disregard Of the law; they arrogated to
themselves the powers and duties Of the super
intendent and steward and either discharged
these duties themselves or empowered or allowed
Mr.. Colby to discharge them, and thus prevent
benefit. of that security for the
faithful performance Of duties that these Off
Gals by law were required to render, and they
had given bonds faithfully to perform. The in
terpolation in the stewards report shows that
the trustees were aware Of the fact that they
had prevented the steward from dlscharging the
duties the law imposed; this action OF the board
merits the severest criticism for many reasons
After careful examination OF the act OF 1887
am not satisfied; have the power to remove.
The office OF trustee being for a fixed period,
and the further fact that the acts complained of
were committed by board Of trustees appointed
in 1885 and which went out Of existence on the
formation Of the present board. The evidence
tsken by the examiner and his report show an
expenditure of g large amount of public funds
which have not been satisfactorily accounted for.
am not satisfied with the explanation regard
ing the management of the late board and the
attempt made by majority OF the present
board who were members of the former board to
the executive in expressing his disapproyal OF a
continuance Of such management The past
management indicates. to say the least an
utter disregard Of sound business principals
and defiance of the law. This gross misfeas-
zoffp Itas haan ed